Shonda Rhimes Sued For Allegedly Stealing Idea For Off the Map

According to TMZ, Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes is included in a lawsuit filed by writer Debra Feldman over the TV show Off the Map. You may recall that short-running ABC series from 2011, which was executive produced by Shonda and others from Grey’s, following several doctors working in a remote South American village. With plenty of hot doc action, it was nicknamed “Grey’s in the Jungle.”

Well, Debra wrote a manuscript called The Red Tattoo, and she claims in her lawsuit that Shonda used it as a template for Off the Map. According to Debra, no one in Shonda’s team knew anything about medical treatment on a third-world island, and she believes they stole the intel from her script.

TMZ didn’t share further details — like why this suit is happening in 2014 when the show lived and died in 2011 — but Shonda’s rep (Olivia Pope?) told the site, “It is our policy not to comment on frivolous claims.”

It’s not like medical show concepts are that unique, but we don’t know what specifics the lawsuit may be referencing. So we’ll just have to see if this suit goes anywhere or dies on a vine.